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Jiya Jadhav bags National Junior Firefighter of the Year award
The award, sponsored by California Casualty, honors young volunteers for outstanding service, leadership, and dedication to community safety.
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Staff Reporter - Fri, 24, Oct 2025
- 13:00 EDT
- 30
Jiya Jadhav / nvfc.org
Indian American teenager Jiya Jadhav has been named the National Junior Firefighter of the Year 2025 by the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC).
The award, sponsored by California Casualty, honors young volunteers for outstanding service, leadership, and dedication to community safety.
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Seventeen-year-old Jadhav, a senior at New Hyde Park Memorial High School, joined the New Hyde Park Junior Fire Department in 2022 and rose through the ranks to become Captain before recently transitioning to the New Hyde Park Fire Department as a full member.
NVFC selected Jadhav for her “dedication, leadership, and relentless pursuit of excellence.” She maintained the highest attendance record among 75 junior members and chaired three key committees — event planning, fundraising, and social media — organizing initiatives that strengthened community engagement and promoted the department’s work.
Her training and service have included fire and car rescue simulations, parades, and participation in the Youth Women in Fire Service Day. In 2024, she won the gear donning drill competition at Camp Fahrenheit, placing first among 48 junior firefighters.
Jadhav also represented her department internationally through the Germany–U.S. Exchange Program, earning a Level 2 German firefighting certification.
In a video released by the Village of New Hyde Park, Jadhav said she joined the department “to be a part of our community,” adding that her mother encouraged her to participate. “I applied for the award, I got nominated and I won,” she said.
Offering advice to younger volunteers, she added, “Don’t ever give up, and if you put your mind to anything, you’ll be able to accomplish anything.”
Neil Brogan, director of the New Hyde Park Junior Fire Department, said Jadhav’s leadership set a new benchmark for the program. “She dove right in and got involved in the organization, joined a bunch of committees. She’s led us to becoming the best Junior Fire Department in New York State, which we just got the award for last year, and now she’s the number one Junior Firefighter in the country. She set the goal post for everybody to achieve the highest standards,” Brogan said.
Jadhav’s parents expressed gratitude to the department’s mentors, saying, “We are so grateful for Laura and the advisors for taking her under their wing and letting her soar. Jiya’s grandfather was in the army and helping the nation and community — it’s in the family. We honor and congratulate Jiya for her outstanding accomplishment in being named the National Junior Firefighter of the Year.”
Jadhav and other recipients were formally honored by the NVFC at its spring conference held in Alexandria, Virginia, in May 2025. “Fire service volunteers give so much to their communities, and these recipients exemplify the extraordinary nature of this calling,” said NVFC Chair Steve Hirsch.
Jadhav will also receive a national recognition from the Children of First Responders Association during a ceremony in Times Square, New York City, on Oct. 28, at 10 a.m.
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